Sun Valley Museum of Art is the oldest arts organization in central Idaho’s Wood River Valley. Founded in 1971, The Museum has grown from a few people presenting classes and events to an organization that has over 25,000 people attend events annually (in a valley with a population of 22,000). More than half of those who attended, attended free programs. The Museum's main gallery and staff offices are in Ketchum, Idaho, but the SVMoA also operates a second location in Hailey, Idaho, to better serve the needs of the growing population of southern Blaine County. The Hailey location consists of a historic 100-year-old house that was the birthplace of the poet Ezra Pound and a newly built, state of the art freestanding classroom. In 2006 the Sun Valley Museum of Art received accreditation status from the American Alliance of Museums in recognition of its adherence to the highest standards of operation and programming. Only five percent of America's arts and cultural institutions share this distinction. The Museum is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Multidisciplinary Programs The Sun Valley Museum of Art is nationally recognized for its unique multidisciplinary programming. The Museum's visual arts, performing arts and education and humanities directors work in tandem with the artistic director to develop three or four multidisciplinary projects a year that explore timely themes and topics from multiple perspectives. Recent topics include mining, the relationship between DNA and identity, biodiversity, Tibetan art and culture, corporate America and philanthropy, and Mexican immigration and labor. Concerts, visual arts exhibitions, lectures and classes are offered, all relating to the theme. Exhibitions The Museum displays contemporary and historical art by artists from all around the world, some who are internationally known and others who are at early, promising stages of their careers. A partial list of artists whose work has been exhibited at SVMoA in recent years includes Sebastião Salgado, Marie Watt, Sheila Hicks, Martha Rosler, Julie Blackmon, Morris Graves, Joyce Kozloff, Emmet Gowin, and George Nakashima. The Museum organizes almost all of its exhibitions and has on occasion sent one of its exhibitions to other venues. The Museum's main exhibition space is in Ketchum, Idaho. A second exhibition space, devoted primarily to art with a regional connection, is operated in a historic home in Hailey, Idaho. Lectures & Performing Arts The Museum's annual Lecture Series and Performance Series bring distinguished performers and provocative writers and thinkers to the